Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-01-24


his den and rescued the imprisoned
princess, Essie's great brown eyes grew
bigger with wondering admiration; and
when at last the tale ended happily. as
all such stories do, she clapped her
hands gleefully and fell back among
the pillows with little sigh of content
| ment.
Now you must go to sleep, Essie,"
said the story-teller.
And she sat by the bedside until the
quivering eyelids of the little girl
dropped in slumber.
Then stealing softly to the table, she
shaded the lamp, and unlocking the
drawer of an old fashioned bureau
which stood against the wall. took from
its depths little package of neatly
written manuscript, some blank paper,
a pen, and bottle of ink.
1T will be great surprise to Essie,"
she murmured softly to herself.
And drawing the paper towards her,
she wrote rapidly, in hand as clear
and distinct as copper-plate, until the
clock in the church tower just round
the corner tolled the hour of ten.
II timed myself accurately" she muir
INJURED half aloud; ''and"-measuring
with her eye the pile of manuscript on
the table before her-.'the book is large
enough. Some day I'll get out Volume
ii. Now for the illustration. Luckily,
had three-quarters OF an hour OF
spare time to-day. when the press broke
down. and inspiration enough to dash
| this off,"
She arose as she finished speaking,
and taking down her lunch-basket from
. nail driven in tho wall, lifted the
cover and drew out thin package
wrapped in brown paper.
1t was a piece of bristol-board, on
which WAS traced. with bold hand, .
picture that illustrated the story she
had told that night to her crippled sis
ter.
Artistically speaking. it was very
faulty picture; but it had the merit of
originality. and there was certain
vigor and firmness about the lines that
gave character to the faces of the giant
ogre, the daring knight and the inn
prisoned princess.
The girl, with her head supported in
her hands, eyed the rough drawing
with a contemptuous curl on her lip.
aft is very bad 1 know" she muir
INJURED; "but Essie will value it, Oh, if
were only rich. aud could take draw
ing-lessons, and have time to practice
composition. perhaps some day might
produce something that would cause the
world to give little bit of praise to
Helen Gwinettr'
She sighed little despondently. but
she pasted the drawing in position at
the head of the story she had written
out, and made all the manuscript into
compact bundle, which she wrapped in
brown paper, and placed in the bot
tom Of her lunch-basket.
Then, after glance at the fire. 10 sec
that 1t was properly banked. she I'M
dressed and crept into bed beside her
sleeping sister.
Before sunrise the next morning. she
was up and prepared the simple break
FAST and q MONDAY lunch for herself
and Essie.
When, presently. Essie awoke. she
washed and dressed the child, and thew
ate breakfast together.
At half-past six Nell kissed Essie
goodbye, laid two or three well-worn
books within reach of the helpless child,
and Selling her lunch-basket, tripped
merrily away to work.
Nell worked in great printing and
publishing house, and earned pound
week
1t seemed n pitiful sum; and she hard
ly knew how she made ends meet with
it; but she was rigid economist. and
generally had few pennies with which
to buy delicacies for her little invalid
sister. who had been her constant care
since, two years before. they were left
orphans.
Nell had day-dreams sometimes, but
they did not interfere with the practical
issues OF life. and the foreman of the
room where she worked considered her
his best hand
On the floor above was the bindery.
Nell knew tho foreman, . middle
aged Scotchman, who had been in the
employ Of the firm since boyhood, and
that day at noon she sought him out in
his little Office, rallied off in one corner
OF the great room.
mir, Carnagie." she said. breaking
the string that confined the manuscript
OF her book, II want to ask favor of
you"
''WellP" said the forcmsn interrogs-
lively, speaking With strong Scotch
accent
I've got some manuscript here
some little stories that have written
out from time to time for my crippled
sisters benefit. IL were rich I'd have
them printed. although rm not fool
enough to believe they possess any
merit except for her. I've made the
manuscript as much like book-page "A
possible. with wide margins all around.
and want to know il you'll bind it for